Subvocalization
Sign in to saveSubvocalization, or silent speech, is the internal speech typically made when reading; it provides the sound of the word as it is read. This is a natural process when reading, and it helps the mind to access meanings to comprehend and remember what is read, potentially reducing cognitive load.
~20 min read
Article
18 sectionsContents
- History of subvocalization research
- Techniques for studying subvocalization
- Evolutionary background
- Associated brain structures and processes
- Role of subvocalization in memory processes
- The phonological loop and rehearsal
- Working memory
- Short-term memory
- Encoding
- Role in reading comprehension
- Comparison to speed reading
- Auditory imagery
- Role in speech
- Regulation of speech intensity
- Role in articulation
- Schizophrenia and subvocalization
- References
- External links
Subvocalization, or silent speech, is the internal speech typically made when reading; it provides the sound of the word as it is read. This is a natural process when reading, and it helps the mind to access meanings to comprehend and remember what is read, potentially reducing cognitive load.
This inner speech is characterized by minuscule movements in the larynx and other muscles involved in the articulation of speech. Most of these movements are undetectable (without the aid of machines) by the person who is reading. It is one of the components of Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitch's phonological loop proposal which accounts for the storage of these types of information into short-term memory.